Our Mottos

‎"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go..."— Dr. Seuss (Oh, the Places You'll Go!)

"It is good to have an end to journey towards, but it is the journey that matters in the end." - Ursula LeGuin

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

I am so excited that we will be heading out on vacation Sunday afternoon. We will be leaving town as soon as Brenda gets off work. Hopefully, we will be on the road no later than 5PM.

We are driving to Flagstaff, which will be about halfway to Zion National Park. On Monday, we will go through the park and spend the night in Hurricane, Utah. From there, we will head to Park City, Utah. My brother hooked us up with a free night at a resort. How awesome is that!?!

From Park City, we will head over to Craters of the Moon National Monument and spend the night in Arco, Idaho. We were going to stay in camping cabins there but decided to get a motel room instead. For about the same price, we will have bathroom facilities and all the other amenities that come with it. We will have our longest drive on Thursday so we thought it would be nice to just get up and go that morning.

Thursday, after about an 8 hour drive, we will be in Spokane. We will be there through Sunday. We are there for my cousin's wedding and a baby shower for another cousin's daughter. This is kind of a family reunion because this part of the family hasn't been together in over 30 years. I am really looking forward to seeing everybody together.

On Sunday, we will be heading towards Glacier National Park. Its only about a 5 hour drive, but we are breaking it down in half. We will be driving about 2 and a half hours to Libby, Montana. Two reasons for this, the first is the baby shower is Sunday morning and the second is we couldn't get our cabin in Hungry Horse for Sunday night.

Monday and Tuesday will be for exploring Glacier and spending time with my little brother and his family as well as my parents. On Wednesday morning we will start the trip back home. We are planning on getting home either late Thursday night or Friday morning, depending on how hard we drive.

There are so many reasons I am looking forward to this trip. The heat and fires around here has made it difficult to do any outdoor activities around here, so a respite from the heat will be welcome.

I am also looking forward to the drive. I love road trips and seeing things I haven't seen before. Most of this trip will be new territory for me. Brenda has been to several of our stops before, but it will be nice to see them together.

I am also looking forward to seeing my family. I am fortunate that I have a family that gets along and has a good time together. There is no drama and lots of good times when we are together.

Hopefully, I will be able to post updates throughout the trip, including pictures. I am bringing my laptop and most places we will be staying will have wifi. I just hope this old computer of mine will not act up on me. Our last trip, my computer was having trouble connecting to the wifi.

I am looking forward to the time when we can take these trips at a more leisurely pace. We will be covering a lot of ground in a short time frame. We will only be scratching the surface of many of these areas. I would prefer to be able to explore more, but I know that it won't be long before that day comes. But, at least we get to make this trip. For that I am extremely grateful.

All the planning is done and reservations are all made. Now its time to tackle our to-do list before we head out.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

So I have been sitting here all day knowing I wanted to write this, but I have been procrastinating. Two reasons for this, one, I have been formulating what to write and two, sometimes I feel like what I write or have to say isn't that entertaining or clever.

I was talking with Brenda about some of what I wanted to say. She reminded me that this blog is for me. It doesn't matter what other people say or think. She, of course, is right. She said just write is as it flows from your fingers. So, instead of worrying what people think (my number 1 character flaw) or how it will come out, here goes:

I have been working on being more thankful and positive in my life. Several times a day I go to thankful.com and write out little thankfuls. I have been doing this for a while now and I have seen it really change my attitude. The other thing I have been working on that kind of corresponds with this is being content with what I have.

Both of these attitudes is teaching me to be receptive and open to receiving the abundance the universe wants to give me. I have also been trying to meditate as well. I have never really meditated before and I am not sure exactly what to do. Some of the things I have read discuss a mantra. I was never quite sure what a mantra should be.

Last night, I had to force myself to stop reading my book and go to sleep. The book, Riding Lessons by Sara Gruen, is so good it is hard to put down. Well it was 1:15 and I really needed to stop. I could have stayed up all night reading it-its that good.

So while I was laying there wide awake, I decided to try some meditation. I decided to just keep telling myself I am OK. So my mantra was, "I am good. All is good." I struggle with self confidence and figured this would be a good place to start.

A little background info on my week: when I got to work last weekend, my boss had left a note saying I was doing something wrong at work. I knew I wasn't, but I was afraid she thought so. (Needing other people's approval of what I do is another struggle I have.) Even though I knew I was doing the right thing, I am hurt when people question my integrity. So I was really bothered and getting all worked up about this. Long story short, I had to stop in work yesterday to get something and I got a chance to talk with her. After talking with her and getting it straightened out, I felt much better. It turns out she was not questioning or criticizing what I did, she was just passing along the way someone felt. My boss knew I was doing everything right and really does appreciate me. I felt better that this was resolved in my mind. Along with some other ways I reacted to events of the week, I realized that I am indeed a work in progress and still have lots to learn. So-back to last night.....

I was thinking, praying, meditating that I really need to work on my attitude. So I asked God, the Universe, whatever, to make me be less irritated and more patient. Then there it was! An epiphany! I heard a little voice in my head that said that's not how it works. You have to learn how to do this, it isn't just a given. So, at that moment I realized I will be given lessons on how to do this. What that means is that I will be given more scenarios to see if I am learning how to respond better. If I don't respond positively, there will be more to come until I get it right. I was kind of like DUH and oh wow all at the same time.

Its amazing how life teaches us as we go. As I am learning to be more receptive to the universe, I am now learning I need to work on my attitude as well. I want to continue to improve and be the best me I can be. I enjoy the teachings of the Tao and those types of philosophy. That is what I am striving to be like.

For an easy read and a good way to understand the philosophy of Tao, I suggest the Tao of Pooh and the Te of Piglet. Both are very good reads and helped enlighten me to the way of Tao.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

We are less than two weeks until we start our vacation adventure. I am so looking forward to this trip for several reasons.

The first reason is I am just ready for a good road trip. It has been 7 months since our last trip and I am getting a bad case of the wanders. I love road trips. I love seeing new places and things and exploring. I have a deep connection to all things nature and I need to get back into her. With the fires around here, we are not able to get our weekly fixes of nature.

The second reason is seeing my family. Since my family is scattered all over the place, it isn't very often we can all get together. In fact, I will be seeing family members I haven't seen in decades! It will be fun to all be together in a new and exciting place.

The third reason is knowing I am going to see lots of new country. Everywhere we are going on this trip is new to me. I am looking forward to finding new treasures and see new sights. Brenda has been to several of the places we are visiting but it has been a while for her, too.

The fourth reason is just getting out of the heat here. I love warm weather, but with all the fires and the drought we are having, it has been hard to get any relief. My skin and sinuses will appreciate the cooler, more moist climates.

I have been reading so many bloggers who have been in the places we are heading. I love all the pictures they have posted and reading about what they are seeing. Many of these blogs have inspired me to travel to places I had not even thought about. Thank you, fellow bloggers!I am so glad we have made this world a little smaller through the internet.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

So for the past few months, I have been making a real conscious effort to be thankful for all that I have and always look at the positive side of things. I even have a thankful journal I keep that I add to several times a day. This philosophy has really been working well for me.

The air conditioning went out in Brenda's car the other day. Of course it would as we are in 100 degree weather! Anyway, we have decided not to do anything about it until we get back from our trip. Her job is only 2 miles from home, so its not too bad. On Mondays I don't work so I let her use my car. We also use my car for any errands or other running around we have to do. Today, she had an appointment for a much needed and deserved facial and pedicure. Of course, she took my car.

She had only been gone about 15 minutes when she calls me to tell me my car has a flat tire. She said as she was about to enter the parking lot where her appointment was, she felt the car acting funny. When she got out to park, one tire was flat. I told her to go ahead and get in for her appointment and to call AAA when she finished.

After her appointment, she did call AAA and they said it would be about an hour before they got there. I decided I would meet her there for moral support and help with any decisions. As I was heading down to her, the AAA guy was already there and said the tire was shot. He put the spare on but recommended getting to a tire store right away. I told her where to go and I would meet her there. She calls me back all worried saying my car was making a funny noise and wouldn't move. I had already altered my course to meet her at the tire store so I had to turn around and head back to where she was. (Remember, I am in her car with no air and we are in the 100's.) I get there only to find out the tow truck driver had engaged the parking brake. After a good laugh we head out to the tire store.

We get to the tire store and they look at the tire and agree it needs to be replaced. They also said the other front tire was about to go too. So we ended up putting two new tires on the car. So now my car has two new tires.

In the past, I would have been all upset because of the unexpected expense and hassle of the day. However, I took a deep breath and decided I was going to remain positive about the situation. Wow, the difference that made! I realized how fortunate that this happened before our big trip. Can you imagine the problems that could have happened it this were to have occurred while on the road? I was also able to focus on the other positives. Today was payday for me so I had plenty of money to pay for the tires. Also, the tow truck driver was just down the street from Brenda so he was there and done with her in about 15 minutes.

We turned today into a positive experience. While waiting for the tires to be installed, we went to one of our favorite restaurants for lunch and had a wonderful time. All in all, there was really no inconvenience and we avoided a potentially bad situation possibly occurring during our trip.

Being positive doesn't mean bad things won't happen, it just makes you look at the situation differently and see the good in it. So a day that could have been bad turned out to be fine. So, I am so thankful that the tire went out at just the right time. Now I will feel more secure on our road trip.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

I don't have a hitch yet, but I am definitely getting that itch to be on the move. We are three weeks out until our big road trip and I can hardly wait. To top it off, we are listening to the music we normally listen to while on the road.

One of our favorite things to do is spend at least one day a week out in nature. That is becoming difficult because of all the fires. Practically everything around us is closed for now. This is not helping my need to be in nature.

What to do, what to do? Perhaps I should put all this extra energy into something productive like cleaning or something. Maybe later today when it gets cooler, I will take a walk around the complex. I really do need to get more active. At work, I am extremely active and run around like a chicken with its head cut off. The rest of the week, I am more of a couch potato. I really need to get motivated to be more physically active.

My body has been talking a lot to me lately, and I think its time to start listening. I have really wanted to get back into some type of exercise program. In the past, we have done lots of walking and biking. We need to get back into it. I am even looking at the possibility of getting a personal trainer and getting into a routine. I know if I get started and make it a daily habit, it will be easy to keep it up. Its just not always easy to get motivated to start. I know if I do, I will feel better and this will help keep me healthier.

Ok, ok, time to get this idea in motion! I will keep you posted on my progress......here goes!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

I was planning on blogging Monday, but I was struck with a migraine that lasted through yesterday. I am feeling much better today so I can proceed with normal life activities. I am not going to dwell on them as I want to just appreciate the good in my life. I am grateful I don't have them near as often as I used to and that they are not as severe. I am taking a supplement that helps keep them at bay.
Last night as I was laying in bed and tired of the pain and frustration, I was reminded that this is just a temporary situation. There are so many people who are in chronic pain and suffering for years without relief. I can see why those people are grumpy and miserable. How can you maintain happiness when you are always hurting? It gave me an appreciation for those who suffer and I feel I can be more tolerant of their attitude.
So Sunday night, we had our neighbors over for a cookout. These are the neighbors who will be watching our dogs while we are on vacation next week. We had a great time and a wonderful friendship is developing. They absolutely love our dogs. I have to give Dexter credit for putting on the charm. He can be such a crotchety old man, but when he needs to, the charm and cuteness abounds. Of course, everybody loves Mattie. She is just a sweet old lady who reminds everybody of their grandmas-always full of love and glad to see you. They said they would be more than willing to watch our dogs anytime we wanted to go away.
Here are are two precious pooches:

Last week we went to our favorite RV dealer because they had advertised a few 5th wheels with the forward living room. I was really curious about them so it gave us an excuse to go look at RVs (like I really need and excuse!) They were very nice. In the past, looking at RVs really made me impatient and wanting to just get going. This time was a little different.
I tend to be the kind of person who, once I make up my mind to do something, I want to start RIGHT NOW! I guess you could say I am all about instant gratification. I don't like ordering things online because when I want it-I want it NOW! (I was probably one of those kids in the store throwing a tantrum because I wanted some toy immediately-you know, the kind you want to take outside and spank!)
I digress.
So looking at everything together, I came to realize that sometimes with a little planning and patience, you can do a little better than settling. I think in the past, I have settled just because I couldn't wait to get what I wanted. If I would have waited a little and planned better, things might have been just a little different. (I can write a whole blog about that, and maybe I will someday.) I have decided to try to be patient and not force anything to happen right now. It will all fall into place when the time is right.It always does and it always will.
I think the events of this past week have really helped me stay focused. One reason I think I am so anxious to get going is because we really haven't been able to take any small trips to feed our wanderlust appetite. Having a neighbor willing to watch the dogs for us gives us the freedom to go camping for a few days every now and then. Know we are going on our big road trip in less than 4 weeks is helping too. In the meantime, I plan on saving as much money as possible so we can get the best possible rig when the time is right.
Now I think I need to get out of this house and go enjoy Tucson.

About Me

I have been in a wonderful relationship with an awesome woman since 2004.
I am on a life journey that is constantly changing and evolving. I am embracing all the changes and look forward to this adventure called my life.
I made a huge life change when I retired and we moved from Indianapolis to Tucson, AZ in 2006. The next major change will be happening within the next 16 months. We are going to sell everything and live full time in an RV. As always, I don't know how all this is going to happen, I just know that it will all fall into place at the right time.